David G. Stewart, Jr.
The Savior’s Ministry
During his mortal ministry, the Savior
established his church and taught many precious truths. “In all points tempted like as we are yet
without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), the Son of God performed miracles of providence
and healing and “needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what
was in man” (John 2:25). “He taught...
as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29) a new covenant
that considered individual circumstances, intentions and actions. He taught
that much was required of those to whom much was given. He proclaimed a
universal family of the faithful: “whosoever
shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). He challenged his hearers, requiring a total sacrifice to
God and service of fellow-man that left no doubt that one cannot serve two
masters. Teaching of the need to cast off our sins, he taught: “And if thine
eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom
of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire” (Mark
9:47). He declared: “He that taketh not
his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38).
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). He
admonished: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Many outwardly righteous individuals, such as
the rich young ruler, went away sorrowing, unwilling to make the necessary
sacrifices. At times his hearers
murmured, saying: “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60), and
many of his followers left him. Yet he also
taught: “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). He adapted his teachings to his audience’s
level and taught publicans and sinners, finding in them a receptivity and a
willingness to repent that the hardened Pharisees lacked. The Jews marveled at
his doctrine: “How knoweth this man
letters, having never learned?”(John 7:15).
His enemies used his rejection by the priests and elders of his day to
discredit him, asking: “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on
him?” (John 7:48) Although the greatest
of all, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His
life as [a ransom] for many” (Matthew 20:28, Weymouth NT/brackets KJV).
The Greek word tekton, a root of
modern words including architect and tectonics, implies that the Christ was a builder
– a suitable profession for the framer of worlds who taught his disciples that
he would go to prepare eternal abodes for them (John 14:2). John testified: “without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). His parables include builder’s imagery, such
as the houses built on rock and sand, the man who began building a tower
without counting the cost, and the promise that his church would be built upon
the rock of revelation, with he himself – the stone that the builders rejected
-- being the chief cornerstone. In three days he would build a temple without
the workmanship of hands, referring to his resurrection. He taught of the great judgment day in which
he would bring all before God to be judged.
The eternal reward he offered would be desired by all. Many would come
to him in that day and say: “Lord, Lord, open to us” (Matthew 25:11), but those
who did not know him would be turned away.
His blessings are available to all: “Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him” (Revelations 3:20), yet in the next life, the door of heaven
will open only to those who knew and followed the voice of the good shepherd
here. He taught: “He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me
shall be loved of my Father” (John 14:21).
“Ye are my friends, if ye do [all things] whatsoever I command you”
(John 15:14).
Scripture and Salvation
Throughout his ministry, the
Savior frequently quoted scriptures to his hearers with the words: “it is
written.” He often answered his
questioners by observing with mild incredulity their need to become more
familiar with the holy writing, replying: “have ye not read” and then reciting
a relevant passage. He commanded:
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
He taught: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). His hearers could test the
truth of his words by living them: “If any man will do his will, he shall know
of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John
7:17). After the resurrection, he continued to teach from the scriptures. Christ met two disciples on the road to
Emmaus and “expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself…” When they later recognized him as the Savior,
“they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us…while he opened to
us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:27,32). John testified
of Christ, the Word which was in the beginning:
“there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they
should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain
the books that should be written” (John 21:25).
In modern revelation, Christ has declared: “I shall also speak unto the
other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall
write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall
write it” (2 Nephi 29:12). He proclaims:
“whosoever believeth on
my words, them will I visit with
the manifestation of my Spirit”
(D&C 5:16).
For many years, knowledge of
scripture was lost to the common man. In
ancient times, access to scriptures was limited due to low literacy and the
absence of the printing press. Christ’s
apostles were persecuted and killed, and the church fell into apostasy. The Bible was once on the Index of Forbidden
Books that Catholics could not read or possess.
In medieval
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon, another
testament of Jesus Christ, was preserved for centuries and translated into
English by a prophet through the power of God.
The Book of Mormon is different than other scriptures in that Jesus
Christ himself was the chief editor.
Christ personally appeared to the main authors and editors of the Book
of Mormon and instructed them what to write to convey a message of infinite
importance in a limited space. The Book of Mormon has a unique endorsement
among scripture, as the Lord testifies that it "contains... the fulness of
the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (D&C 20:9-11).
The Iron Rod
In Lehi and Nephi’s dream of the
Tree of Life, the iron rod which led to the tree and to eternal life
represented the word of God, or the scriptures
(1 Nephi 11:25). Those who
reached the Tree of Life did so not simply by becoming members of the Church,
but by pressing forward while “continually holding fast to the rod of iron” (1
Nephi 8:30). The daily study and
application of scripture brings great power into our lives. Helaman tells us:
“whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful,
which shall … lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course” (Helaman
3:29). William Tyndale stated: “The
nature of God’s word is that whosoever readeth it…it will begin immediately to
make him every day better and better, till he be grown into a perfect
man.” Moroni wrote: “I... am commanded
to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come
that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that
they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the
fountain of all righteousness and be saved” (Ether 8:26).
The Divine Mandate
Modern prophets have also
repeatedly emphasized the need for daily scripture reading. President Spencer
Kimball taught: "We are saddened to learn as we travel about the stakes
and missions of the Church that there are still many of the saints who are not
reading and pondering the scriptures regularly and have little knowledge of the
Lord's instructions to the children of men. Many have been baptized and
received a testimony, and have 'gotten into this straight and narrow path,' yet
have failed to take the further required step -- to 'press forward, feasting
upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end' (2 Nephi 31:19,20). One cannot
become a 'doer' of the word without first becoming a 'hearer.' And to become a
'hearer' is not simply to stand idly by and wait for chance bits of
information, it is too seek out and study and pray and comprehend. Therefore,
the Lord said, 'Whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice,
and is not of me' (D&C 84:52)."[1] President Ezra Taft Benson taught that
we should read the Book of Mormon for half an hour each day with our families
and make it a lifetime study: He declared: "Success in righteousness, the
power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives,
healing of the soul - these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to
those who will come to His word... However diligent we may be in other areas,
certain blessings are to be found only in the scriptures."[2] He taught that the members of the church are
still under condemnation for taking the Book of Mormon lightly.
How many have wished for divine
instruction, while failing to fully utilize that which the Lord has already
given? A wise person once said:
"When I want to talk to God, I pray.
When I want God to talk to me, I read the scriptures." Hugh Nibley
stated: “If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he'll do if he
comes. He'll just quote the scriptures to you - so you know you're wasting your
time waiting for what we already have.”[3] Today we are blessed with ready access
to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and modern revelation. We have many tools – searchable computer
programs, concordances, interlinear Bibles, and more – to help us to understand
God’s word. We have audiocassettes and
CDs of scripture that help us to harvest time spent in mundane tasks such as
driving or doing housework to expand our knowledge of the Lord. Elder L. Tom Perry states: "In all of
the history of mankind there has never been a time when we have had a greater
opportunity to increase our knowledge of the law of the Lord...Surely there can
be no excuse for us not to become the best informed generation of all time in
our knowledge of the scriptures. Never before have we had opportunity such as
we have today to become real gospel scholars."
We will be judged according to
whether our works, thoughts, and conscience show God’s law to be written in our
hearts (Romans 2:15). Daily scripture study helps the scriptures to become a
part of us. Just as the Israelites had
to gather manna daily because hoarded manna would spoil, we must daily gather
the bread of life contained within the scriptures. The Holy Spirit cannot be
bottled, canned, or stored, but is granted with our daily efforts to seek out
and live God’s word. We are commanded to feast on God’s word, as eating a
single cracker will not sustain us in physical labors through the heat of the
day, nor is an occasional nibble on spiritual crumbs adequate to fortify our
souls.
The Time Paradox
One study notes that two-thirds
of active Latter-day Saints report reading scriptures at least once in the past
week, but very few report reading on a daily basis. Two common excuses are
given for low performance in scripture reading.
The most common excuse is “I don’t have time.” Most of us have abundant access to food and
other necessities of life, yet spiritual malnutrition is more prevalent today
than ever before. The average
Catching the Vision of the
Scriptures
The second excuse given for infrequent
study of scriptures is, some claim, that “the scriptures are boring.” Ezra Taft
Benson referred to the Book of Mormon as the great sieve. The wicked are offended at its teachings, the
worldly are not interested in it, while the righteous delight in it. Those who express that the scriptures are
“boring” reveal much more about themselves than about the scriptures. When the Savior asked Peter if He was
offended because of Him, Peter replied: “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast
the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
These are the words that the scriptures bring us. Ezra Taft Benson
taught: “the Book of Mormon is not on trial--the people of the world, including
the members of the Church, are on trial as to what they will do with this
second witness of Christ."[5]
Start Early
We must start early in developing
gospel habits. There is no greater gift
we can offer our children than love for and understanding of the scriptures.
Parents who neglect the habit of daily scripture reading with their families
should not be surprised if their children do not serve missions or do not
remain active in the church. Those who
neglect habits of daily scripture reading in the belief that they will be able
to start at a time of future convenience are deceiving themselves. With each act of disobedience or neglect, we
surrender some of the power to change.
The best time for us to develop the habit of daily scripture reading or
to obey any righteous counsel is the first time, and implementing counsels that
we have tuned out or neglected becomes progressively more difficult over time.
Consistency
Only through daily scripture
reading can we gain the insight to properly conduct our own lives and to
counsel our children wisely. Scripture reading can help us to gain the
confidence to share the gospel with our neighbors and an understanding of what
portion of God’s word they may be ready to hear. As we “treasure up in [our] minds continually
the words of life,” the Holy Spirit will give us “in the very hour that portion
that shall be meted unto every man" (D&C 84:85). We must have
carefully studied God’s word for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the
scriptural teachings and counsels that may be relevant to our current
situation. The Holy Spirit does not draw water from empty wells. When daily scripture reading is continued for
many years, great benefits accrue. Jim Rohn stated: "Success is nothing
more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is
simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.” Neal A. Maxwell taught:
“Personal, spiritual symmetry emerges only from the shaping of prolonged
obedience."[6] A Chinese proverb declares: “The person who
removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones…Enough shovels of earth
- a mountain. Enough pails of water - a river." This is why the scriptures stress so
emphatically the need to “endure to the end.”
Without consistency at basic gospel habits, the gospel seed in our
hearts will be choked by the cares of the world and become unfruitful.
Conclusion
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord taught: “For
if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare
yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you” (D&C 78:7), “For
he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a
celestial glory” (D&C 88:22). If we
do not make daily scripture study a priority, while we can still benefit from
the application of other gospel principles, we can expect that we may fall
short of our eternal possibilities. Spencer W. Kimball taught: "The Lord
will not translate one's good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each
of us must do that for himself."[7] Sister Elaine Cannon stated: "We are
like children walking a path in the rain. We can walk in or around the mud of
life as we desire, but with our choices come the consequences. And we are
rapidly becoming what we are choosing to be for all eternity."[8] I count as the greatest blessing of my
youth that when President Benson asked the members of the church to read the
Book of Mormon for half an hour each day, that my parents responded and our
family has continued that habit ever since.
I am grateful for God’s eternal word.
Though heaven and earth pass away, the word of the Lord shall endure
forever. I testify that Christ, the true light of every man and woman that
comes into this world, stands at the door of our soul and knocks daily. I pray that all of us will open our minds and
our hearts to him by coming to him daily in his word.
[1] Kimball, Spencer W. Ensign September 1986.
[2] Benson, Ezra Taft. Ensign, May 1986.
[3] Nibley, Hugh. Of All Things, p. 42.
[4] How Do Americans Use Their Time?” Penn State Press Release. 8 May 1997. http://www.psu.edu/ur/NEWS/news/leisure.html . Accessed 1 July 2005.
[5] Benson, Ezra Taft. LDS General Conference, October 1984.
[6] Maxwell, Neal A. Ensign, May 1990, p. 34
[7] Kimball, Spencer W. The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 7-8
[8] Cannon, Elaine. Ensign, November 1983